Bombardier Commercial Aircraft announced today that Bombardier Services Corporation has extended Heavy Maintenance Agreements with SkyWest, Inc. (NASDAQ: SKYW) carriers SkyWest Airlines, Inc. and ExpressJet Airlines, Inc. for a further 10 years. The agreements cover the airlines’ fleets of CRJ Series regional jets.

The two airlines operate a total of 433 CRJ Series aircraft, including 234 CRJ200, 135 CRJ700 and 64 CRJ900 regional jets for Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines. SkyWest Airlines is based in St. George, Utah while ExpressJet is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

The maintenance can be performed at any of Bombardier’s maintenance facilities in the U.S.A. including the Tucson Air Center, West Virginia Air Center and Macon Air Center.

“Bombardier’s CRJ Series airliners continue to be essential to our two airlines’ fleets and have helped our company become one of the largest regional jet operators in the world,” said Wade Steel, Chief Commercial Officer, SkyWest Inc.  “As we continue to concentrate on our fleet, we know that our CRJ aircraft heavy maintenance remains in good hands with Bombardier.”

“We are proud that SkyWest, Inc. has once again placed its confidence in Bombardier for the heavy maintenance of its CRJ Series aircraft fleet,” said Todd Young, Vice President and General Manager, Customer Services, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “We manufactured these aircraft, we know them best, and we are determined to provide SkyWest Airlines and ExpressJet with the very best in maintenance to maximize their reliability and earning power. Including the fleets of aircraft operated by SkyWest Airlines and ExpressJet, we are now providing maintenance services for approximately 90 per cent of the CRJ Series aircraft operating in the U.S.”

Bombardier press release